dance of death

• Expression métaphorique désignant une situation ou un événement qui mène inévitablement à la destruction, à l'échec ou à la mort, souvent utilisée dans un contexte dramatique ou littéraire.

A metaphorical phrase referring to a situation or event that leads to inevitable destruction, failure, or death, often used in a dramatic or literary context.

1. Allegorical conceptC1formal

   A medieval allegorical representation of death leading people of all social classes to the grave, often depicted in art and literature.

   danse macabre

   • The 'Dance of Death' fresco in the church shows skeletons dancing with kings and peasants.
   • Holbein's series of woodcuts on the Dance of Death is a famous artistic work.
   • The poem describes a macabre dance of death that spares no one.

2. Metaphorical usageB2informal

   A situation or activity that leads inevitably to destruction or death.

   danse macabre

   • The soldiers knew their mission was a dance of death.
   • Investing all your money in that risky scheme is a dance of death.
   • The duel was a dance of death for both participants.